13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
Question 1
Why do people have to pay taxes? What does it show?
Question 2
What do you think God deserves to receive from us?
Imagine how Jesus felt as the religious leaders came back to him once again. He was so patient as they returned again and again, to test him out. Like a boxer who gets beaten every round but refuses to give up, they attack once more. Having had time to think, here they thought they had found a way to deceive him.
At first, they gave him great praise. In case he avoided answering the question, here they emphasised the fact that he taught God’s will quite honestly, no matter what people thought of it. Then they brought up a very controversial topic, was it right for God’s people to pay taxes to Caesar? The Romans were asking for money from everyone under their authority, and obviously the Jews didn’t want to acknowledge that authority. So Jesus is put in a difficult position once again. If he says that tax needs to be paid to Caesar, then the people will turn on him for not standing up to their Roman enemies. But if he said there was no need to pay the tax, he could be accused of rebellion against Rome.
Although Jesus knows what is in their hearts, he gives them an answer, but not the kind of answer they expected. He asks to see one of the coins and points out to them that it was Caesar’s picture and stamp – Cesar actually owned that money. Then he gives them an extremely clever answer, because the answer can be understood in many ways. In one sense Jesus was saying that it was right to pay Caesar’s money back to him; this would please the Romans. At the same time Jesus’ words could mean that Caesar should receive what He deserved – which was God’s punishment; and this would have pleased the people.
But what then does it mean to pay God’s things to God? The Bible says that we as a people were created in the image God – the stamp of the Creator is on us all. So if he who has created everyone and everything and therefore owns it all, then he alone deserves to receive all that we have to offer.
Question 3
What does it mean in your life to give God things?
Question 4
Given that Jesus is King, what is striking about the fact that he has to ask someone to show him a coin?
Pray
that you will live in a way that shows that you were created in God’s image.
